PROBLEM IN TODAY'S YOUTH

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuhu!!!

Most of the times when the question of straightening our Ummah comes, the consideration of straightening the youth comes at least once. This is one of the most least talked about topics of this generation… The truth behind this can come from the greatest scholars who’ve written books on these issues or from somebody who is striving against these problems as youth too. According to what I have experienced and what I have come across the problem of the youth under lies in many paths of the road of this world and enjoyment.

FRIENDS: The biggest issue that any practicing muslimah or any muslimah in general would face is through her friends. As the famous hadith goes, you are on your friend’s deen. This is exactly how many of the youngsters have failed to come out off. Whatever the friend does, you do. Whatever language your friend speaks, You speak. Your friend curses, You swear double. Your friend hangs out with boys, so do you.

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “A man is upon the religion of his best friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.” [Source: Sunan Abu Dawud 483 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to An-Nawawi]

Of course there is an exception to this, not many are like this. But majority are. Unfortunately, the fitna of friends is very easy to fall in, and coming out from it is only by leaving that company itself. For the sake of Allah!

MATERIALISM: Many of the youth have become so materialistic that they think they will only feel contended if they buy a little something or eat a little something. Without that iPhone not many are happy, without that Anastasia Beverly hills liquid lipstick many are not happy. Without those shoes or dress they will look ugly or they won’t fit in. Hoarding things that majority of the crowd is hoarding has become a major disease that our ummah is being engulfed into. It’s a sad reality and many are working to lead such a life. They are earning more of the dunya. When was the last time a youth had an intention to earn to give sadaqah? To spend in an Islamic or beneficial education? To give it to parents? To spend it on relatives?

FOOD: Food is also a form of materialism. When you eat or consume something that is junk all the time or dining out all the time, you are spending way more money than you would normally spend if you were to cook at home and eat. Not only are our youth eating way too much they are spending way too much. What you consume is what you are. If you are eating what pleases you all the time you are satiating your stomach with your desires, and when you fulfill your desires you get used to that life and you are less immune into facing changes or hardships in life. When was the last time, if you as a youth had to eat food you didn’t like, didn’t become angry or irritated? We have revolved our lives so much around food that the moment we wake up, we think of what we will eat, where we will eat and with whom we will eat. This is a disease and we think it is a way of life. We should only eat what is necessary and not eat till everything becomes a calamity for us to do.

SELF-OBSESSION: Not only girls but even guys are facing self-obsession due to media outlets and it is very saddening. The high demand in the makeup world is one of the biggest causes of self-obsession in girls and it is the collecting of money and showing it off in guys. Extreme immodesty has increased in our ummah, there is no shame in doing anything. Where there is no shame, then one can do anything as they will, and this is what is happening, the youth are doing anything they want. Exceptional love and admiration in oneself is way different than being confident and Islam has not liked the behavior of a narcissist self-obsessing humans. It is one of the diseases of heart and it needs to be cured by removing the root cause or replacing it with humility.

 MUSIC: The fact that many don’t consider music to be prohibited and sinful, is a sin in itself. And only a countable number of youth don’t listen to music. May Allah accept from them. Listening of music is happening even in practicing households and every single girl and boy are listening to filthy music. It’s like a habit. It’s a routine. Parents are not stopping the kids from listening to music let alone supervise what kind of music is being heard. One has to remove this illness from the heart because Music is considered to be the whisperings of the shaitaan, and the heart where music lies is a place of darkness. Just refer to this link https://islamqa.info/en/5000 for more information on music being haram and listening to it is sinful.

Taking care of our youth is our responsibility and with responsibility comes great consistency. When these root causes are removed, naturally a normal teenager would be praying five times a day, understanding Qur’an, lowering gaze, doing hijab, staying away from haram and enjoying life within the halal boundaries and being grateful for every single thing. In sha Allah!!

May Allah guide us all and reward us for striving against these fitnas. Ameen! :D

جزاكم الله خيرا كثيرا for reading!

Ask me anything regarding this topic here. Thank you for reading.

Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views.

-Manal Mirza

CAN I GUIDE OTHERS?

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuhu

"Perhaps, [O Muhammad], you would kill yourself with grief that they will not be believers.

If We willed, We could send down to them from the sky a sign for which their necks would remain humbled.

And no revelation comes to them anew from the Most Merciful except that they turn away from it.

For they have already denied, but there will come to them the news of that which they used to ridicule.

Did they not look at the earth - how much We have produced therein from every noble kind?

Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers." [ Surah Ash-Shuára:2-8]

These ayats are very comforting when you feel something like how Rasool Sallalahu alaihi wasallam felt...

Every once in a while you get this jerk of life that hits you to remind you that you can't guide anybody to what''s the truth. You cannot change the hearts of anybody. You can't put others in your place and position to know what you know or to feel what you feel.

It's only Allah alone Who Guides and can change the heart of the person who is really looking for a change.


Many times I have found myself in the situation where bringing people closer to Islam is only by feeding words into their ears and then simultaneously praying for them. It works wonders. But this needs to be a consistent act with a lot of patience.


What hasn't normally worked was the constant nagging and making others understand what you know and how you feel the iman in yourself that others don't and won't feel. You can't force anybody to do a certain thing when they don't have the iman at that point of their lives to do an act of deed. 

What needs to be done is strengthening the basic core of Islam first, that is knowing Allah and getting to know the Prophet Sallalahu alaihi wasallam. Teaching them the basics of Islam that is the aqeeda of Laa ilaha illallah and the pillars of iman and pillars of Islam. When these cores are strengthened only then the fruitful act of good deeds will be produced.
You don't have to ask them to pray yet. They should pray on their own after they've learned the meaning of their Kalima tayyiba. Maybe asking them to pray can be done when they are at their very emotional and rough phases of their lives, so they can turn to Allah and pour in all their sorrows to Him. But someone who already knows about the real importance of Prayer should be reminded constantly and everytime of the day. 

Ilm is the basic and the most important thing that we all need to learn. It is fard upon every muslim to learn the main and basic ilm of Islam. 

Our main concern is to bring people close to Islam at least by making them stay away from the major sins like Shirk, biddat, disobeying parents, zina, riba, drinking alcohol etc. That way Allah keeps having mercy upon them, keeps guiding them and makes the path of Jannah easy for them. in sha Allah!

And it's not that easy to be honest. Not every one you meet is going to be a hard core practicing muslim. I mean we all have flaws but not everyone is going to pray five times a day or not listen to music or don't have a bf or gf. Not everyone you find or meet out there does the right things all the time.

Main thing to remember is that you are not pious and nor were you pious when you knew nothing about Islam. You were just like them. Humble yourself. Thank Allah for guiding you.
You also need to remember how would you have wanted others to approach to you when you were in the times of jahaalat and gaflat.
When bringing others close to Islam, you need to purify your intentions on what you are doing and why you are doing it and for whom you are doing it and proceed with the best of your patience. 

Guide People to Islam through what was was sent as a guidance; through the Qurán and the Sunnah. Use these guides as a means for guiding others and see how Allah guides them; if He wills. 

Learn to accept that you can never guide anyone. You are only their to deliver a message and forbid the evil and command the good. Make duwa for your family, relatives, friends and the muslim ummah, and after that your work is done...

May Allah guide us to the straight path. Ameen!

This might not be a very beneficial post but this is something that many of us need to feel relieved about. These ayats are comforting and makes you feel that Allah is the ultimate GUIDE. He guides Whom He shall will and unto Him is our final return. We are there to be good muslims and help others in the same journey as us.  :D

جزاكم الله خيرا كثيرا for reading! Ask me anything regarding this topic here at http://ask.fm/manalmirza23 

Thank you for reading. 

Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views. 

- Manal Mirza

Wandering Your Eyes in Salah?

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuhu!

How heedless are we in our prayers? Let's take a look at Surah Al Ma'un and see what Allah has talked about people who pray.

Surah Al Ma'un

So woe to those who pray 

                     [But] who are heedless of their prayer -

Allah has woed and cursed those who pray but with heedlessness. In tafsir As Sa'di, Saahun is defined as those who DELAY their prayers and leave it to their last hours. Neglecting the proper time of prayer is considered as Saahun. 
Allah isn't cursing the one do not pray but He curses those who PRAY but pray with heedlessness. How Scary is that! May Allah not make us from amongst them. Ameen!

In one of the most authentic tafaaseers, Ibn Kathir, it is mentioned on the authority of Ibn Abbas Radiallahu Anhu that,"This means the hypocrites who pray in public but do not pray in private." [At Tabari 24:632] Meaning these people only pray when others are praying along with him otherwise he never prays when he is alone. He only prays to please people or to impress them.

Saaahun has also been defined as to not fulfill the pillars of Salah properly that is the proper wudhoo, proper posture, the humility and contemplation of its meanings. 


Usually, we don't have the Khushoo and Khudhoo in our prayers because of the distractions around us, or doing something before the salat which could really occupy our minds, or maybe because we simply don't know the meanings of what we are reciting in our prayers. 

The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) said: “The worst thief is the one who steals from his own prayer.” People asked: ‘Messenger of Allah! How could one steal from his own prayer?’ He said: “By not completing its rukoo and sujood” [at-Tabarani]

The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “He who does not complete his rukoo and sujood, his prayer is void” [Abu Dawood]

The answer is simple to that. When we want to gain consciousness and humility in our prayers we need to remove and avoid all those things which occupy us before we perform our prayers. It's basically what kind of life we are living. If we have been living a life of entertainment, you will find yourself in the thoughts of movies or some scenes from what you last saw. If your life is busy from working, then your salah might be engrossed on what you have to do next after salah. If your life is involved with lots of socializing then you will find yourself in thoughts of people and what they spoke to you or when you'll speak to them again. These are mere distractions and nothing else and this is nothing but the tricks and planning of shaitaan. Hence, we need to balance our lives and live a moderate life. 

“The Prophet (P.B.U.H) used to pause after each verse of Surah al-Fatiha. [Abu Dawood]

Sometimes, we also need to memorize the translation of the surahs we are reciting in our prayers, memorize the meaning of the tasbeeh we do in ruku' and in sujood. Be slow and relaxed in performing your salat, Do not be in a hurry, do every step of posture with contentment. Do not speed up your ruku' and sajdah. Repeat the tasbeeh at least 5-7 times and with concentration and understanding. Forget the dunya for five to ten minutes. Start with a clean intention. Humility should be in the heart not by bending your head and neck in qiyaam or tashahhud. It is the bending of the eyes on the sujood and sticking it over there and that shows true humility and discipline. 


The Messenger of Allah Sallalahu alaihi wasallam said, "This is the prayer of the hypocrite, this is the prayer of hypocrite, this is the hypocrite. He sits watching the sun until it is between the two horns of Shaytaan. Then he stands and pecks four raka'ats and he does not remember Allah in them except a little." [Fata Al Bari 6:386] 

SubhanaAllah! How scary is that! Are our Prayers filled with remembrance of Allah or are we doing a favor unto Allah and doing tasleem and rushing away from Allah? We really need to focus on improving our prayers!

One of the other signs of Gaflat [heedlessness] is wandering your eyes here and there. And this is sooo common! Wallahi I have seen 5 in 20 people looking here and there in their prayers. I have seen a woman bending down, picking up a cup and a bottle of water, pouring water in the cup and drinking it IN the PRAYER! I am not exaggerating! Believe me, many people do not know how important attention and activeness is in the Salat. They just consider standing in the prayer and reciting whatever they are as enough! But let us not forget again. Allah has CURSED those who pray with heedlessness. Woe means to be removed from Allah's mercy.

“Let those who raise their gaze up during prayer stop doing so, or else their sights would not return to them” (i.e. they will lose their eyesight) [Muslim]

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet said, "What is wrong with those people who look towards the sky during the prayer?" His talk grew stern while delivering this speech and he said, "They should stop (looking towards the sky during the prayer); otherwise their eye-sight would be taken away." SAHIH AL_BUKHARI [Book 1 : Volume 12 : Hadith 717]

Another common mistake we make is in our sajdah. Some women think that the prayer of a woman and man is different and hence they stick their elbows, stomach and thighs to the ground as if they are lying down in the sajdah. But I have never heard any sound hadith from them to back up their belief. Yes there should be a little shyness, the lowering of the back and body but that's it. 

The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “I am commanded to prostrate on seven bones, the forehead and the nose [1], the two hands [palms 2], the two knees [2], and the two feet[2]” [Sahih Muslim]

(prostrate on seven bones means that these seven bones should touch the ground & nothing other than that because that is the proper sunnah)

Let us all take heed from this post and try to improve our prayers slowly but surely.

May Allah grant us the ability to focus on our prayers, may He accept our Salahs, may He forgive us for our heedlessness! Ameen ya Rabbil A'lameen!!

جزاكم الله خيرا كثيرا 

Ask me anything regarding this topic here. Thank you for reading. Please feel free to send me the link of your blogs and comment below if you have similar views.

-Manal Mirza

| Deed 5 of day 5 | Ramadan series

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakaatuhu

Alhumdulillah it's almost a week now since Ramadan has passed.

The deed of today is to try to do something productive throughout your day, that normally looks a normal routine task but it could be an act of worship once you change your niyyah to do that act just for the sake of Allah. 

Verily every action is judged by its intention.

Few actions for us girls could be to make iftar for the entire family, not just because you have to but because you want to make Allah happy and please Him by helping your family members. See how that became a simple act of worship? Help your mom to please Allah and to return the favours back to your mother. Speak good words to your father in a low polite tone not because you are controlling yourself from anger but because you want to make Allah happy by respecting your father.

Forgives your sibling's shortcoming not because you want to feel relieved and light but because you want Allah to forgive you as well.

Simple!  Isn't it?

Alhumdulillah, this will make your entire day free from expectations from any body and it will make you do ample of good deeds and worship in sha Allah. :) :)
JazakumuaAllah khairan for reading

-Manal Mirza

| Deed 4 of day 4 | Ramadan series

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakaatuhu

The deed that I really want to acquire this Ramadan is in sha Allah to fast my tongue just as much I fast myself from food, water and all the halal things. 

Tongue is one of the biggest paths that could lead us to heaven or hell. And I am afraid we speak useless and futile more than we speak beneficial and rewarding.  So in sha Allah, we will try to moist ours tongues with the remembrance of Allah and also with the recitation of the Qur'an and earn lots of ajar through our tongues. 

May Allah grant us the strength and tawfeeq to control our tongues and also our behavior throughout the entire year.  Ameen

JazakumuaAllah khairan for reading

-Manal Mirza